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I LiBRAUY OF CONGRESS, i 



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J UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.'^ 







p. 18. 



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THE 



Px.UE LjRECIANpEND 



STORY IN VERSE 



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' Whence and what art thon, execrable shape ?" — Milton 



WITH ILL USTRA TIONS 




NEW YORK J 

J. S. REDFIELD, PUBLISHER 

140 FULTON STREET 
18 6.8 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 18G8, by 

J. S. REDFIELD, 

In the Clerk's OfTico of the District Court of the United States 
for the Eastern District of New York. 



Edwakd O. Jenkins, 
PRINTER AND STEREOTYPER, 
No. 50 NoiUi William St. 




THE 



True Grecian Bend. 



A WOMAN in France got the spinal 

disease, 
And from that sad moment she had no 

more ease ; 
To add to her anguish, she very soon 

found, 
Oh, horrors ! her back was becoming quite 

round. 



The spasms of physical pain she en- 
dured, "^ 

Were keen, I assure you, and could not 
be cured ; 

But bad as these were, it seems, on the 
whole. 

They could not compare with the pangs 
of her soul. 

For I must inform you, O dear reader 

mine — 
(I'm in my third verse, and indeed it is 

time) — 
That our stylish Parisian was Fashion's 

dear slave, 
And to its sweet service her brain and 

time gave. 



7 

If she had been poet or artist or 

sage, 
Or one of " the women," so called, " of 

the age," 
With missions to Art, or the indigent 

poor, 
Her crooked vertebra she might well 

endure. 

For 'tis of no consequence, surely, I 

say. 
If strong-minded women who flaunt in 

bur day 
Their rights to more freedom for work 

and for speech 
Are placed by disease quite beyond the 

world's reach. 



8 

Such women belong to that low, com- 
mon kind 

Who assert that an active condition of 
mind 

Or of hands (me ! how vulgar !) does 
make, after all. 

What we a true woman can worthily 
call. 

But say, of what consequence, pray, can 

it be 
If females with such vulgar notions, 

you see. 
Are forced to stop work and all bold 

agitations 
Of questions important to churches and 

nations 



9 

Because of a weakness of brain and of 
spine ? 

(Both organs, alas ! being in a de- 
cline.) 

It matters but little, if women like 
these, 

Are deprived of all usefulness, comfort, 
and ease. 

But when a fair daughter of Fashion — 

a treasure, 
Who lives but to seek and to find her 

own pleasure, 
A victim becomes to keen pains that 

do rack, 
To pains that quite ruin the shape of 

her back — 



lO 

Here, here is a tale that makes the 
heart bleed ! 

A tale wholly fit for a poet in- 
deed ! 

Before I have finished, however, you'll 
find 

That sunlight with shadow is herein 
combined. 

At present the shadow rests over my 

maid, 
While wrapped in reflection she sits in 

the shade. 
Her brain being small, is quite like 

the pot 
Which, owing to smallness, so soon 

became hot. 



1 1 

It seems at this moment, in truth, quite 

on fire. 
Harassed as it is with the spasms 

of ire. 
That seize it in thinking of hopes all 

destroyed, 
Her figure quite ruined ! her future a 

void ! 

For I must inform you, our " char- 

mante Fran^aise," 
Deluded as all of us were in those 

days, 
Considered it really a feminine 

charm. 
To carry the figure — including the 

arm — 



12 

According to Nature in some slight 

degree, 
With freedom and unstudied grace, 

don't you see ? 
A form finely poised, and free in its 

motion, 
Is surely a sign — at least, such was the 

notion — 

Of youth and of health. Even some 
thought that grace 

Had a meaning and charm quite be- 
yond a doll face. 

But all such ideas have of course now 
gone by 

In times when the fashions do Nature 
defy. 



13 

As I was just saying, our " charmante 
Francaise," 

Deluded as all of us were in those 
days, 

Was tortured with agony now at the 
thought 

Of the change which the spinal affec- 
tion had wrought 

In her whose fine figure, a short time 

ago, 
Arrayed in rare furbelows, made such a 

show 
On the " Boulevards ;" also when on 

her white mare, 
Erect and in "stove-pipe" she pranced 

with the air 



H 

■t 

Which marks the great " parvenues" 
out as that class 

Whose eyes, looking over you, say, 
" Let me pass ! 

Do you know who I am ? I 've a car- 
riage and four, 

A poodle and twenty-five servants and 
more," 

But I am digressing. The subject is 

great. 
And I fear I shall never get through at 

this rate. 
To return to " mes moutons," I mean 

to my maid ; 
We left her, remember, in wrath and 

in shade. 



^7 

She sat in the shade, for she feared 

that the light 
Would bring to her vision that horrible 

sight, 
A female with vertebral column 

askew, 
And now as she sat here she dreaded 

the view. 

But at the next moment a thought 

bright as fire, 
Seemed to burn in her eyes and to 

chase away ire; 
She rose, in a tremor of joy, from the 

gloom, 
And opening the shutters, made bright 

the whole room. 



i8 

She then all at once did proceed, with 

a rush, 
To fasten a pillow, with cheeks all a- 

flush, 
Just under her skirt, quite behind at 

the back. 
And then she donned quickly a hat and 

a sack — 

Seized quicker a parasol ; then without 

fear. 
She faced the long mirror with eyes all 

a-cheer 
With some inspiration, that strangely 

did lend 
To a spine badly bent an additional 

bend. 



19 

Pray what was she doing ? you ask, all 

amazed, 
Perhaps you imagine the girl was quite 

crazed, 
Or trying a cure — and that's madness 

enough — 
With " similia similibus" ideas and 

such stuff. 

Oh, no ! my dear Reader ; she 's simply 
intent 

On proving in practice the worth of a 
bent. 

Which entered her mind a few mo- 
ments ago. 

And set all her brain and her heart in 
a glow. 



20 

In short, all creations of genius, you 

know. 
Originate, so they say, always just 

so ; 
Quite all of a sudden, undreamt of, 

they're born 
In the brain which seeks after to give 

them a form. 

The form which our heroine sought 

now to give 
To her noble creation was, sure as I 

live, 
A crook in the back and a crook in 

the arm. 
And with these same crooks she means 

yet to charm 



21 

Her circle of former admirers and 
friends, 

And, after a ripe preparation, in- 
tends 

To make her ^^ debut'' in a style very- 
new. 

Unknown to the crowd or e'en the 
rare few. 

Oh, view her, as now she continues to 

pass 
Up and down, while she studies herself 

in the glass ! 
With parasol raised very high in the 

air. 
And spine really taking a curve, I 

declare. 



22 

Exceeding by far the long crook that 

disease 
Had wrought there in hours void of rest 

and of ease, 
And yet, I assure you, her face glows 

with smiles. 
While practicing poses the hours she 

beguiles. 

But while I still watched her, a cloud 

thin as air. 
Passed over the features that now 

seemed so fair ; 
With eyes on the mirror, I heard her 

exclaim, 
" Oh ! dear me ! oh ! dear me ! I 've 

lost it again." 



23 

She takes a new bend — then cries, 

"That's not it !" 
Here, dear reader mine, she was seized 

with a fit 
Of abdominal colic, which only did 

serve 
To add, you perceive, to her back a 

new curve. 

The full extra curve produced by the 
pain. 

Brought strangely the smiles to her 
features again ; 

She cried, " Oh ! kind Providence sure- 
ly did send 

This spasm to give me the * true Gre- 
cian bend ! ' 



24 

" The ' true Grecian bend ! ' here, here 
is a name 

Which soon will acquire a most glori- 
ous fame! 

It hides my poor hump altogether, 
you see. 

And a leader of fashion again I will 
be!" 

Since the colic referred to, by Provi- 
dence sent. 

Two weeks had gone by, and our dam- 
sel had bent 

Whatever of strength she possessed to 
attain 

The " true Grecian bend," and it was 
not in vain. 



25 

The day now arrived for the startling 

" d6but," 
And our heroine smiling emerged to 

the view 
Of the Boulevards, where " tout le 

monde" in a maze 
At the strange apparatus in wonder did 

gaze. 

This strange apparatus, as I before 

said, 
Perched on heels that supported a 

hump on the head, 
A hump on the back and a crook in 

the arm 
Presented a vision entitled to 

charm 



26 

The eyes of all artists ; for sure 't is 

their duty 
To recognize always the true curve of 

beauty ; 
And who can deny that here was a 

curve 
Sufficiently curving as model to 

serve ? 

The world, as I said, at first in 

a maze, 
With sneers at the strange apparatus 

did gaze ; 
But when this same world at last did 

discover 
The ** strange apparatus" was she, and 

no other, 



27 

Who only last year the gay fashion did 

lead. 
And lived on the Boulevard Malesherbes 

indeed ! 
They suddenly found that her present 

strange style 
Was but a new fashion she'd set all the 

while. 

Upon the discovery that, without 

doubt. 
The humps and the crooks were "M^ 

latest out;" 
With common accord the dear feminine 

gender. 
At once set to work in trying to 

render 



28 

Themselves in appearance as near as 

could be. 
To her who was now all the fashion, 

you see. 
So where only yesterday out on the 

street 
But one crooked female you might 

chance to meet. 

To-day there existed a hundred at 
least. 

Who made up a pantomime, truly a 
feast 

Of color and form, to him who de- 
lights 

In fine graceful contours and that sort 
of sights ; 



29 

And yet it is proper that I should 

confess 
(For to know " what is what " I did 

never profess), 
The sight of curved females at first 

raised a question 
Which seemed to me worthy some 

solid reflection. 

The question was this : if 't is true as 
averred. 

Human origin may to the ape be re- 
ferred. 

Then we are now turning, I boldly 
declare. 

To monkeys again. Pray look at the 
air 



3° 

Of that monkey the organ-man carries 

about. 
Gaze but a short moment and you will 

find out 
When standing, his back just describes 

the outline 
Of that fashionable female, in garments 

so fine. 

Does not this resemblance, oh, tell me, 
I pray, 

'Twixt apes and the fashionable dames 
of to-day. 

Suggest to your mind the identical ques- 
tion. 

Which seemed to me worthy some solid 
reflection ? 



S^^^^-Mfkim^ 




33 

I say, that it seetjjed, for I must ex- 
plain, 

On seeing the bend, I could not 
refrain 

At first from scorn and dejection, but 

now 
My feelings are altered entirely, I 

vow. 

For when by the dashing " beau 

monde" I was told, 
•The bend was the fashion — I soon 

came to hold 
Opinions quite different; believe me, 

to-day 
It seems to me "stylish" and most 

distingue." 



34 

And now I must tell you, last week at 

a dance, 
I found out the origin, quite by mere 

chance. 
Of the "bend" surnamed "Grecian," 

and then, think says I, 
The fair sex shall know this ; at once 

I will try 

To tell them in some way. So, spite 

of delays, 
I 've written the story of the " char- 

mante Frangaise, " 
And while I congratulate all my fair 

friends 
Who now are expert in the various 

" bends," 



35 

A word I would add — it is this : forget 

not 
How specially favored and blest is your 

lot. 
For you can have humps, if you like, on 

the back. 
Without the bad colic and pains that 

did rack 

The female whose spine the best doc- 
tors couldn't mend. 

But oh! she invented "the true Grecian 
bend ! " 

A " bend " born of suffering truly pa- 
thetic, 

A " bend" scientific as well as aes- 
thetic. 



36 

Now all of you know, I make bold to 
infer. 

The "colic" and "pains" did in Paris 
occur. 

Of course we Americans would not re- 
ceive 

Any fashions but those of imported 
disease : 

Excuse me : I mean that the " modes " 
are imported, 

For it is very true, as has oft been re- 
ported. 

We worship all things of Parisian ex- 
traction ; 

Why, even its morals (?) have quite an 
attraction ! 



37 

Of course, we despise them, but then, 

do n't you see. 
They come after all from the stylish 

" Paris ? " 
Oh ! wondrous Bill Shakspeare, of very 

huge fame ! 
You lied, Sir, in saying all names were 

the same. 

But now before closing, I gladly ex- 
tend 

To all who desire to attain the true 
bend, 

A single suggestion, pray do n't pass 
it by, 

But listen, then, labor " and never say 
die!" 



38 

In every Art -study you'll find it is 

best. 
To model from Nature with uniform 

zest. 
Oh, come now with me! I'll show you 

to-night. 
The model I spoke of — a pitiful 

sight. 

We'll leave the gay avenue — this is the 

way — 
Through byways and lanes where the 

clear light of day 
Has no room to enter. Here godless 

despair 
Finds vent in wild curses and cries — do 

you dare 



39 

To utter reproaches ? Come, come, do 

not shrink; 
You find the air stifling ? Why, now 

only think. 
You 're here but a moment and quite 

lose your breath ; 
Yet many will dwell here from birth 

unto death. 

You cannot return, though chilling the 

gloom. 
For in this dark building we'll find a 

dark room ; 
This stairway leads to it — come, let us 

ascend ; 
I '11 show you the model I spoke of, my 

friend. 



40 

'Tis long after midnight ; — we reach 
very soon. 

Up by the dark stairway, the rpom 
through the gloom ; 

And here in the corner, where burns a 
pale light, 

Sits sewing and shivering a woman to- 
night. 

Through many a season, drooped low 

o'er her knee, 
She 's sat there, and often she scarcely 

could see 
What stitches to take, so flickering her 

lamp ! 
So weary her eyes ! so chilling the 

damp ! 










f 



''' ¥^ 



ill 






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43 

Two little ones sleep at her side on the 

floor; 
At times she looks towards them with 

heart very sore 
At the thought of their cries at the last 

scanty meal. 
At the thought that on waking how 

hungry they'll feel. 

" Oh ! what shall I give them ? the 

crusts are quite dry, 
Yet they're all that I have." With 

many a sigh 
She turns to her work, for she knows 

when 'tis done 
More bread can be bought with the 

shilling she's won. 



44 

O brave, weary mother ! the morning 

has come ; 
You 're hungry and cold, but the work 

is not done. 
Thus through the sad seasons she 's bent 

o'er her knee 
So low that her back has a curve, do n't 

you see — 

A curve truly Grecian ! I 'm sure you 

would find. 
Should you dress her in fashionable 

clothes of the kind 
Worn now, she'd look "stylish" and 

have quite an " air." 
Her "bend" is more perfect by far, I 

declare, 



45 
Than that of our ladies so fine and so 

gay 

Who walk in the avenues day after 
day; 

And surely an outline by Nature de- 
signed. 

Is much the best model, if you are in- 
clined. 

Fair lady, to triumph and truly in- 
tend 

To study as artist the " true Grecian 
bend." 

A model from Nature ! now, here is 
the question. 

Is this Grecian bend really worth your 
inspection ? 



46 

There's only one drawback to this same 
inspection. 

The thought of which fills me with 
some slight dejection, 

I fear if this study you still will pur- 
sue, 

It may not be best, friend, for me and 
for you. 

For listen ! There 's possibly danger, you 

know. 
That you may become, in these 

"models" who sew. 
So much interested that you may 

forget 
Yourself and the fashions, and that 

we 'd regret. 



47 

Fair lady, oh ! guard against this above 
all. 

For what sadder lot could e'er you be- 
fall? 

And what would become of the "beau- 
monde " to-day, 

Without " upper tens " and the fashions 
so gay ? 

It's time I should close; my task 's at 

an end ; 
I 've told you the tale of the " true 

Grecian bend." 
Besides, a good model I 've now pointed 

out. 
By which you'll attain to perfection, no 

doubt. 



48 

And now pray permit me, while saying 
adieu. 

With warmth once again to congratu- 
late you. 

That Providence kindly a colic did 
send. 

Which gave you, dear ladies, the " true 
Grecian bend ! " 




